Bazzle
by TheWolfParadox
Summary: In a world freshly crippled by the events of the Collapse and the arrival of aliens, a makeshift military unit is charged with investigating the Shard of the Traveler.


**This story is set during the Dark Age.**

* * *

 _"Warriors are not the ones who always win, but the ones that always fight."_

* * *

Bazzle was proud to say that when the world went to hell, he was prepared. After Rasputin's initial detection of the incoming force, he had used his rank in the army to get his family aboard one of the first colony ships out of the system. But not himself. He had no intention of leaving Earth. Instead, he would stay behind to help ensure the safety of everyone else.

A planetwide evacuation was incredibly difficult to orchestrate. People were panicking, their forces were being pushed back, and only a few ships made it off-world. Eventually, it became clear to Bazzle that they would not be able to withstand the attack and he began getting supplies together. Ammo, clothing, rations, medkits. Anything that might prove useful. When everything finally fell apart, he and his second in command, Rena, made for an abandoned farmhouse, not too far from where they were stationed.

They remained there while civilization was ripped apart. When the Traveler intervened, Bazzle thought they'd finally be safe. However, that hope was proven false by the sudden arrival of enemy ships on Earth and aliens began to loot and pillage what little remained.

He and Rena were sitting at the table, trying to figure out their next move when there was a knock on the door. Instantly, they froze. Bazzle put a finger to his lips as he drew his gun and moved toward the door. Rena drew her own gun, moving to stand against the wall next to it, putting her out of sight of anyone on the other side. Bazzle leaned against the door. "What do you want?"

"We've been on the road for days," a male voice replied, "We were just hoping to get warm. We saw the smoke from your fireplace."

"How many of you are there?"

"Three!"

"I'm opening the door," said Bazzle, "Don't try anything."

He slowly eased open the door with one hand while holding his gun at the ready. Finally, he was able to see who was on the other side. There was a young woman with dark hair and grey eyes standing alongside a young man who had the same hair and eyes. Next to them was a slightly older man with red hair and a beard. All three raised their hands, showing that they meant no harm. Bazzle eyed the red-haired man. Something about his bearing seemed familiar. "You can come in, but my warning stands."

"Thank you," said the man.

Bazzle holstered his gun as the three people entered. He watched as they took off their packs and moved closer to the fire. He examined the packs. Each one was packed neatly with only the essentials. This furthered the suspicions forming in his mind. He moved to sit across from the strangers, studying them in silence for a few moments. "Military?"

The red-haired man seemed surprised. "How'd you know?"

Bazzle offered a wry smile. "I can tell my own."

The man shook his head. "Should've guessed. So what are you?"

"Army. Both of us. What about you? Navy?"

"He's marines," said the woman, speaking with a British accent, "We're navy."

Bazzle nodded, relaxing slightly. "Bazzle Torelli, First Sergeant."

"James McArthur, Corporal," said the red-haired man.

"Dan Wescott, Lieutenant," said the other man, also with a British accent.

"Arya Wescott, Lieutenant Commander," said the woman.

"Rena Williams, Corporal," said Rena, "...You said you saw the smoke and followed it here?"

"Yep," said James, "But that's only 'cause we were looking for it."

Bazzle frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's no accident that we're here," said Dan, "We knew about you before we came."

His eyebrows came together. "Then your explanation better satisfy me. How did you know about us?"

"We were with a larger group lead by a guy called Kyle Schmitt."

Bazzle blinked in surprise. He recognized the name. "Kyle Schmitt was the Major of my division."

James nodded. "He set us on your trail. Said you'd know him."

Bazzle nodded. "It's good to know he made it."

"Yeah, he's near the coast. Leading a group of former military."

"Why did he send you to find us? Does he wish for us to join him?"

James shook his head. "No. He wants _us_ to join _you_."

Rena cut in, her eyebrows furrowed. "That doesn't make sense... Why?"

"Schmitt's setting up a new kind of military," said Arya, "A Post-Collapse force called Rovers."

"For what purpose?" asked Bazzle.

"Defense," said Dan, "Against bandits and alien scavengers. Refugee columns have started forming. People are heading for the Traveler but the roads aren't safe, even with the Rangers watching over them."

"Who are the Rangers?"

"Another group," said James, "Ayane Takanome leads them. But they don't come down from the mountains. That's why Schmitt wants to create a new force."

Bazzle rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Establishing a separate force was a good idea. If the 'Rangers' as James had called them didn't leave their posts in the mountains, there was a lot left unprotected. "Tell me about these aliens," he said, "We saw ships fly in a few weeks ago."

"That was them," said Dan, "People are calling them 'Fallen.' We haven't had too many encounters, but from what I hear, they're four-armed and look like insects."

"That's not all," said Arya, "There seems to be several different factions of them as we've found evidence of different banners and symbols. London fell to one not too long ago...they burnt it to the ground."

"...If we joined Major Schmitt's 'Rovers,' what exactly would we be doing?" asked Bazzle.

"Exactly what we said: preventing Fallen and bandits from attacking refugees. I'm afraid we can't disclose the first official mission unless you join."

Bazzle nodded. "I understand… May I have a moment to discuss this with Rena?"

"Sure."

Bazzle and Rena rose from their seats and moved to the kitchen, out of earshot of their visitors. "What is your opinion?"

"I think it sounds a little too good to be true, sir," she replied.

"You have a point. However, this is the Major. He has always been down-to-earth in his decisions."

Rena nodded. "That's true. I'm not opposed to joining if that's what you think we should do."

"I do. We have the chance to do what we used to do: protect Earth's citizens."

"Even more so, when you think about it. Weren't too many threats during the Golden Age."

Bazzle nodded. "Then we agree?"

"Why not?"

Bazzle led the way back to the others. "We've decided to join."

"Brilliant!" said Arya, "Schmitt always wanted you to be a squad leader."

"Why?"

"Not sure. But he spoke very highly of you."

"He and his old man went way back," said Rena, "Which probably factors into it."

"Probably," said Bazzle, sitting back down, "When does he want us to leave?"

"Tomorrow," said James, "He was dead set on moving out ASAP."

"What is our destination?"

The other three shared a look before Dan got up and unzipped one of the front pockets of his pack, withdrawing a paper map. Bazzle eyed in in surprise as he flattened it out on the coffee table. "I didn't think there were any more of those."

Dan scoffed. "There weren't. Everything was digitized... I had to make this myself."

"Impressive," said Rena.

"Thank you. But that's beside the point. Schmitt and the rest are hereabouts…" He tapped an area on the coast of France. "Marseille. _You_ are somewhere over _here_..." He moved his finger in a circle around another area, more inland. "Around Lyon. And finally, the area Schmitt wants us to get to is over here..." He ran his finger over the map, stopping a ways west from where they were. "About 500 klicks from here, give or take."

Bazzle frowned at the map. "Switzerland. Why does he want us in Switzerland?"

Arya shot a glance at her brother before speaking up. "Word has it that a piece of the Traveler landed over there when it was crippled. The only town in the area is called Vals. That's where we're going. We're supposed to investigate the shard, and survey the area for any refugees or Fallen."

"I see. How long will it take us to reach Vals?"

"On foot? Two, maybe three days."

Bazzle nodded. "And I suppose we won't be coming back here?"

"Let's put it this way," said James, "Anything you need or want...you'd better bring it with you."

"Very well. Rena, get your pack together. Necessities only. I will do the same," he rose from his seat, "We'll sleep here and leave at first light."

James nodded, standing up. "Sounds good to me." He offered his hand, which Bazzle shook. "Welcome to the Rovers, Bossman."

* * *

The journey was long and dangerous. Cutting through the country, while an attractive option to shorten the trip, risked them losing their way in an unfamiliar area. The roads, on the other hand, were much more reliable, even though they were a prime site for bandits and Fallen alike. They'd met a few groups traveling on the roads, though they only ever revealed themselves if there was an emergency. However, as they drew closer to their goal, the presence of others, both human and Fallen, became scarcer.

By the dawn of the third day, Bazzle's feet were tired and sore. Yet still the Rovers trekked on. Just as Bazzle was beginning to question if his faith in his father's old friend was misguided, they passed through the trees and emerged onto a bluff. The landscape, as with the other parts of Switzerland he'd seen, was rugged and untamed. But that wasn't important because, in the distance, Bazzle could see a large curving structure protruding from the ground like a broken bone. The jagged dome was webbed in clouds and lightning crackled through it every few seconds. Bazzle's eyes widened. Here before his eyes was a piece of the Traveler itself.

"We did it!" cheered Arya, tackling her brother in an excited hug. Both siblings wore huge smiles on their faces.

James grinned in satisfaction. "That we did. It's something, innit, Baz?"

Bazzle nodded. "Indeed it is… However, I don't think we should investigate it right away. We do not want to run out of daylight. I suggest we find a way down from here and make camp."

Rena nodded. "Good thinking, sir."

"Alright," said Dan cheerfully, "Down we go."

It took them some time to make their way down from the bluff as there wasn't a visible path. When they finally managed it, the sun was hanging low in the sky. They decided to set up camp under the bluff to get as much shelter as possible from it.

"You had the right idea, Bazzle," said Arya, "We'd never make it to the shard before nightfall."

Bazzle nodded. "Get things set up around here. I'm going to look for firewood."

"Should be plenty nearby," said Rena. "Yes. Hopefully, it isn't still wet from the rain yesterday."

"Good point."

Bazzle set his pack on a nearby rock, deciding to only bring his gun with him. _You can never be too careful._ He had to search farther than he would have liked, but it was worth it in the end as he made his way back with an armful of relatively dry wood. He was about halfway back to the campsite when he heard something screech in a language that he recognized was used by the Fallen. Several other voices responded in the same language. They all sounded too close for comfort.

Bazzle chose to abandon his woodpile in exchange for drawing his gun. He scanned his surroundings as he continued to move toward the camp but saw no sign of Fallen anywhere. Still, he kept his guard up all the way back. James saw him first and opened his mouth to call out, but stopped, clearly noticing Bazzle's tense posture.

"What's wrong?"

"I heard Fallen."

James' expression turned grave. "How close?"

"Closer than we'd like."

James nodded. "I'll get my gun. Arya, Dan, Rena...we've got possible Fallen inbound."

As the others retrieved their weapons, Bazzle looked around, again seeing nothing. But then he heard Fallen chatter from somewhere behind him and he spun, hoping to catch sight of where they were. Instead, he found nothing but an old tree stump. It was fairly normal-sized but still big enough for something to hide behind it. He frowned, grip tightening on his gun as he slowly stepped forward. Two more steps would allow him to see the other side of the stump. He took another cautious step. Still nothing. But as his foot landed for the final step, there was a blur of movement as something crashed into him, knocking him off his feet. It was indeed a Fallen.

As it screeched and sliced at him with a knife, Bazzle got his foot up, kicking it off him. It flew back, slamming into a boulder. Bazzle was instantly back up, sending a bullet after it. More screeches sounded and he stepped back as what must have been two dozen Fallen appeared out of the trees. The other Rovers fell in next to him as they engaged the aliens in battle. The world became distorted and chaotic as the Fallen forces collided with them. All Bazzle could focus on was his next move, his next target. Then his gun clicked and he cursed, holstering it just as the biggest Fallen he'd seen so far stepped out.

Its helmet was larger and it clutched a long sword in each of its upper hands. Bazzle knew the odds of coming out on top were slim but he also couldn't stand there and do nothing. Before he had time to question himself, he charged forward, dodging the Fallen's swords as he headbutted it in the chest. It staggered back, hissing, before advancing once more. Bazzle ducked and struck its knee. He was rewarded with a sharp popping sound as it seemed to dislocate. He backed up before the alien could retaliate, feinting to one side before dodging around the other, wrapping his arms around its neck. He felt it thrash as it attempted to shake him but he would not be moved. The Fallen started to slow, its movements becoming more sluggish. But just as victory was in sight, the alien pulled a new maneuver, whipping forward to send Bazzle flying over its head.

He landed on the ground with a huff and made to get up when he found himself pinned by its lower arms. He tried to break the Fallen's grip, but it was too strong. It peered down at him, its glowing blue eyes merciless as it raised its swords for the final blow. As Bazzle stared into the cold eyes of his soon-to-be killer, it felt as though an eternity was passing. Then with one swift strike, the Fallen plunged its swords into his chest. Bazzle gasped at the coldness of the steel as it slid in. The alien made a chattering noise that he interpreted as laughter and moved to pull the blades out. But before it could follow through, a loud bang echoed out and he saw a smoking hole appear between its eyes.

He allowed himself a smile of grim satisfaction as the Fallen crumpled next to him. Hurried footsteps scraped across the ground as a figure loomed over him. It was Rena. "

In a bit of a pickle, are we sir?" The sadness in her eyes betrayed her joke.

"It looks like that, yes," Bazzle replied.

She nodded. "Although...I might prefer dying to living with the way things are now..."

He shook his head. "No. You wouldn't. Because you-" He gave a racking cough. "You know that it won't last forever."

"How could you know something like that?"

"Trust me… Just promise that you'll keep going. The ref- refugees need the Rovers. And you must lead the others now."

Her lips twitched slightly. "Is this a promotion, sir?"

"Yes. I'm promoting you. Don- don't let me down."

"I won't… It's been an honor serving with you, Torelli."

Bazzle smiled. "The honor was mine, Williams."

He let his head sink back onto the ground, his gaze turning to the night sky above. _It's good to see the stars_.

* * *

 **A/N: I can't believe I'm almost done with these. I thought I'd never be finished just 'cause it was so hard finding the motivation to work on them. But here we are with only one more left. I can't wait to see how it'll turn out. Before I do shoutouts, a few things.**

 **The EDZ is confirmed to be in Switzerland as road signs can be seen leading to Zervreilahorn, which is a mountain located in the Swiss Lepontine Alps. The town of Vals is real and is the closest one I could find to the mountain. Lyon and Marseille are also real places in France and the distance from Lyon to Vals is close to accurate.**

 **Also, Takanome's Rangers are a real thing in Destiny. The Rovers, however, are not.**

 **Now I'd like to give credit to my amazing readers! Thank you African Ruffle for the follow! (I hope you're here from the Destiny stuff otherwise you're not gonna see this lol). Also huge thank you to Clare Prime of Ultra for the follow/favorites :D (Keep on the lookout for a special story coming after story 3).**

 **See you guys in the next and final oneshot!**

 **\- TheWolfParadox**


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